Alabama

Robertsdale to demolish Garrett Park gateway arch

Robertsdale workers will tear down the arch at Garrett Park. City officials said the structure has deteriorated and could fall. (Guy Busby/Press-Register)

ROBERTSDALE, Alabama -- The arched gateway that has stood over the entrance to Garrett Park for almost 30 years has become unsafe and will be torn down, city officials said Monday.

The Robertsdale City Council voted unanimously to approve a plan to demolish the iron and brick arch erected at the north end of the park in 1983. Public Works Director Scott Gilbert said the arch has rusted and is in danger of collapsing.

"It’s in really bad shape," Gilbert told council members. "Right now, you can shake it and the whole thing vibrates."

Mayor Charles Murphy said the pieces of the arch will be saved and at least part of the span could be restored and returned to the site in the future. He said city workers will take photos of the arch before it is removed to aid in restoration.

Gilbert said the two plaques placed on the brick pillars supporting the arch will be removed and placed on display at the gate site.

One plaque states that the park is named for Dr. Amos Garrett, a dentist and former mayor. The other includes the names of the city’s Park, Tree and Street Committee and the gate’s dedication date of May 17, 1983.

Gilbert said city crews will extend sidewalks through the entrance, making the site more accessible for children. He said most people now enter the facility after driving to the site and parking farther south. He said the sidewalks should encourage pedestrian traffic to the park.

In other action at the Monday meeting, the council:

Heard a proposal to hire Revenue Discovery Systems to locate companies operating in Robertsdale without a required business license.

Yolanda Watkins, regional account manager for Revenue Discovery Systems, said the company would check city tax and other records and locate merchants who have not paid the license fees to do business in Robertsdale. Revenue Discovery Systems would receive half of any fees recovered as a result of the search.

She said the fees would only be paid for the initial discovery and all license fees in the future would go to Robertsdale.

Watkins said RDS provides the service to 265 cities and counties in Alabama. She said searches in other cities the size of Robertsdale, with a population between 4,000 and 5,000, have located about 295 unlicensed businesses and recovered about $65,000 in fees.

Among the municipalities served by RDS are Bay Minette, Loxley, Elberta, Magnolia Springs and Silverhill, she said.

City officials questioned whether the use of municipal records for the search would violate privacy laws. City Attorney Ken Raines, who is also the town lawyer for Elberta, said he was not aware of any legal problems caused by the use of RDS in Elberta.

Council members voted to table the proposal until it can be discussed at the next city work session Sept. 6.

Voted to accept the donation of property that includes a detention pond next to the Town Oaks Shopping Center on Ala. 59. The donation will allow city workers to make drainage improvements in the area, Murphy said.